


If I can't have you...

by Anonymous



Category: Avatar: The Last Airbender
Genre: Aang (Avatar) Needs a Hug, Angst with a Happy Ending, F/M, Gaang (Avatar) as Family, Gen, Kanto's a real jerk, Minor Character Death, Protective Toph Beifong, Toph Beifong-centric, Toph needs a hug, it's rlly taang-centric ngl, so the others are mentioned, that should be a tag, we do not stan
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-11-24
Updated: 2020-11-24
Packaged: 2021-03-07 16:00:24
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,836
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/26570299
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/
Summary: Toph's been living her life peacefully for the last one year, what happens when a familiar face comes up and tries to ruin her life again?
Relationships: Aang/Toph Beifong, Katara & Zuko (Avatar), Sokka/Suki (Avatar), Toph Beifong & The Gaang, Toph Beifong/Kanto
Comments: 1
Kudos: 21
Collections: Anonymous





	If I can't have you...

**Author's Note:**

> So... It's almost taang week, and why not start it with a bAnG???

"What do you want Kanto? Didn't I make it clear last time? We're done." Toph spat, but her heart was beating a mile a minute when his large hand forcefully grabbed her wrist. "You... You said you loved me!" He cried, and Toph's heart nearly shattered. "I don't love you, you psycho! I-I love someone else..." She all but mumbled the last part. Kanto's eyes widened, and fury flooded his heart and mind. As it always did when he didn't like what Toph was doing. He grabbed her wrist towards his chest, forcing her to go down one step, her silver eyes looking at him with a mixture of disgust, fear, and anger. 

"What?! But you promised a future with me!" Kanto screamed, making Toph flinch. It's been too long since he's come into her life. Why did he have to come back now?! "I didn't promise you bullshit!" She countered, trying to pull out of his grasp. He let her wrist go forcefully, causing her to fall onto the stairs. "You promised. And I'll make you remember your love for me. I-it's just buried in there somewhere." He said manically, "No! Please!" She begged, but Toph was too late. He grabbed her hair and dragged her up to her own apartment. "N-no!" She begged as he threw her into the room, "Don't worry, love. I'll make you come back to your senses again." He cooed, his hand cupping her cheek. She merely turned her head as tears began to fall from her eyes. 

• • • • • • •

With shaking hands, she lit up a cigarette, taking a long, deep, drag. She hasn't talked to Aang in weeks, her phone had been crushed by Kanto and he wouldn't dare let her out save for the groceries. The smell of smoke ran throughout their apartment, but Toph didn't care. It wasn't like Kanto would've noticed her. She missed Aang dearly, wanting to run up to him and apologize for not being able to talk all week. But it was better this way, if he and Kanto didn't butt heads, her life would be easier. 

But then her plans shattered when she heard the tapping sounds of tiny pebbles against the window of her apartment. She immediately crushed the cigarette with her slipper, slipping her glasses on, her heart dropping when Aang's stormy eyes locked with hers. She cursed under her breath and ran out back through the fire escape. "Aang!" She gritted out, but froze when his warm arms wrapped around her frame. "You're alive! Oh thank god, I thought you were dead or something..." He sighed in pure relief. 

Toph pulled away, frantically biting her thumb nail, chipping at it. Kanto would be home in an hour and if Aang didn't get out, things would be hell for both her and him. "What's wrong?" He asked worriedly, "I-I... You shouldn't be here!" She whisper yelled, looking up at the window. "Why not?" He asked, and Toph shook her head. "You just can't!" She said, a little louder this time. "You can't just say that and expect me to go do your bidding! Toph, we talked about thi-" "Just-... For your sake and mine, please do this one thing." She begged, one hand cupping his cheek as tears threatened to fall. 

"What thing?" Aang asked, "Never come back here. Don't step foot onto this apartment, pretend I never existed. Forget we ever met. Forget everything we ever had." She said, her voice cracking. Aang's eyes widened and he fell into a state of shock. "Toph, this isn't funny. D-don't-" "Please..." Toph begged, ready to get on her knees. "You're my friend! You're Katara's friend! Sokka's friend! Zuko's friend! Suki's friend! You can't just expect us to forget you ever existed! We care for you... I love you!" He screamed, a whirl of emotions forcing him to spill the truth.

Toph froze. "W-what?" She asked, completely baffled. "Y-you... Love me?" She asked, as if wanting it to be fake. Dread filled her being, it was bad enough when this was one-sided, but now he'd just admitted that he loved her. "I do... I really really do, Toph. And it scared me so much when you didn't answer your phone at all last week, I was beginning to think of things I shouldn't have been. Toph, you... You mean so much to me. And to see you pushing me away with tears in your eyes. It hurts more than you know..." Aang croaked, and Toph's heart seized. Of all times... 

Taking a deep breath, she turned away from him. "If you really love me... You'll do as I say, and forget I was ever a part of your life." She said, her nails digging into her palms as she forced herself to keep it together. When she heard his shaky sigh, she felt sadness and relief flood into her at the same time. "If that's what you want... Then fine. But if you ever need me, I'm only one press of a button away." He said, and the sounds of the grass crunching as he walked away sounded like a hollow melody in her ears. The sound of Kanto's car pulling up made her shoot her head up and run up the fire escape, sliding into her bed and pretending to be asleep. 

"Toph?" He slurred, the heavy sounds of his drunken steps coming closer and closer to her room. "To-" He stopped right in his tracks when he noticed her sleeping frame. She bit her lip hard to keep herself from letting a sob break free. When the light behind her disappeared and the sound of the knob clicking shut ran throughout the room, she let out a shaky sigh of relief. Grabbing a cigarette from her underwear drawer, she took yet another long drag as she silently cried in her room, having pushed away the man she loved so dearly. But in the end, Toph was to blame for this situation. She'd believed that Kanto was a good man, falling right into his game. 

Her only goal at this point was to get a new phone. 

• • • • • • •

A few weeks had passed and now, she'd saved just enough money from her part-time job to get herself the simplest of phones. Kanto wasn't going to be home in four hours so Toph used this to her advantage. After packing her things, she dialed Aang's number, and despite it being midnight, he answered in a heartbeat. "Hello?" He answered groggily, "Aang... It's me..." She spoke softly, and heard shuffling from the other side. "Toph? What's happening? Why'd you-" "I need you to drive me to the train station." She told him, not one to stall. 

"What for?" Aang asked, "I'm leaving this place." She said, stuffing the last of her things into the luggage bag. "Where are you going to stay?" He asked, an underlying sadness in his voice. "Gaoling. My parents already know I'm on my way..." She replied, pulling her luggage bag behind her. Kanto was arriving in four hours, and she'd just finished taking care of the necessary documents the night before. "Alright. I'll meet you outside your apartment building?" "No! No... Meet me in the nearest mall." She said, and dropped the call, slipping the phone into her coat and rushing out the door. 

The cold air made her shiver slightly, but she stood still in front of the mall, looking around for Aang's car. When she'd spotted it, her lips twitched upwards, and she rolled her stuff over to his trunk. Unaware of the eyes watching her, fury swirling through them. She quickly entered Aang's car and told him where to go. 

"So... You're leaving, huh?" Aang spat. Toph looked away guiltily. "You... You ask me to forget your existence for two, three weeks? Then, you call me in the middle of the night to tell me you're leaving. Without even explaining what's going on. I mean, what the fuck Toph?!" He yelled angrily, his grip on the wheel tightened and he sped up slightly. "A-Aang... Calm down-" He scoffed, "Calm down?! No Toph, I'm not going to 'calm down'! My best friend is leaving me without even giving me some sort of closure. And what about the others? I'm willing to bet none of them even know about this." Aang said. And Toph flinched. 

"I'm sorry... I couldn't rope any of you in it." She whispered, "Agni, Toph! Are you hearing yourself?! We're your friends! If someone messes with one of us, they mess wi-" "It's Kanto, okay?!" Aang nearly stepped on the brake at this. "W-what?" Tears brimmed her eyes, "Yeah. H-He... He found me a month ago. Forced me to stay with him. Build some sort of future with him. He crushed my phone and kept me inside the entire time." Aang ran a hand over his beanie, "Why didn't you tell us then?!" He asked, and Toph repeated her previous statement, "Like I said, I couldn't get any of you involved. Kanto's a psycho, and I don't want any of you, especially you, getting near him." She admitted, and Aang's heart seized. 

"So that's why you're leaving..." He mumbled as he pulled up to the drop-off area, and Toph nodded. "Be careful, okay?" He whispered, and Toph nodded, moving to open the door. But Aang caught her shoulder, "Oh and... A remembrance gift." He said, taking his scarf off and wrapping it around her neck. She blushed at the gesture, biting her lip nervously. Aang smiled sadly, opening his mouth to say something. But before a word was uttered, soft lips connected with his own. "I love you too, by the way." Toph said, and Aang was stunned. She smiled, and went out to grab her things. "I'll see you around?" She asked, and Aang nodded. "Y-yeah." He replied, and Toph kissed his cheek one last time, before mixing into the sea of people. 

It would've ended well, if Aang had not seen Kanto making his way over to the station. Aang's eyes widened and he immediately parked his car in the nearest place available before running inside to warn Toph. Everything was a blur, as he ran around, pushing and shoving his way through, looking for the familiar face of his newfound lover. It was harder to find her because he couldn't call out her name. He looked down at his phone, calling the last number that called him. "Aang?" She asked, "Kanto's here."

Toph cursed silently, looking around to come face-to-face with her ex. She screamed as he pulled her to the stairs. "Toph? Toph?!" He screamed, but all he could hear was a cracking sound and then the phone dropped. Everything seemed to have happened in a flash, because the next thing he knew was that he was on the rooftop, across from him was Toph and Kanto, Toph's lip was busted and a bruise, was forming on her cheek. Kanto's knuckles were bloody and he had three deep scratches on his cheek.

"Aang..." She gasped her eyes begging him to leave, "So this is the pimp you've replaced me with?" Kanto growled, "No! Don't!" She yelled, grabbing his coat. "Shut up! Don't you see? If he's gone, then we can be... Together... Again." He said, pulling out a knife. "Whoa there, easy with that!" Aang yelled, Kanto's eye twitched, "Kanto!" "You're mine!" He yelled, and lunged for Toph, but she ducked just in time, grabbing Aang's wrist and speeding down the stairs. But when they tried to get out, Kanto came face-to-face with them, knife glistening into the light. Toph threw Aang to the ground, protecting him. 

"Don't you dare hurt him." She growled, but Kanto's eyes were glinting something menacing. He grabbed Toph by her hair, leaning into her ear, "If I can't have you... No one can." He growled, plunging the knife into her back. Toph choked out a yelp, blood spilled from her lips as Kanto pulled the knife out before making a run for it. "Toph!" Aang screamed, catching her as she bled profusely. "D-don't worry! We can still save you!" He said shakily, applying pressure to her wound with one hand as the other speed dialed the ambulance. 

"M-my friend... Her ex stabbed her in the back... We're in the train station, in the stairway... O-okay, please hurry." The phone was thrown to the side as Toph weakly looked up at Aang, "A-Aang..." She whispered, hand reaching out to cup his cheek, blood smearing against it. "I-I... M'sorry..." "You'll be fine! You have to be." He said, clutching her closer, Toph smiled weakly. "I love you." She croaked, but Aang only sobbed. Looking around for help, "No!" He screamed, "You can't die! You can't!" He begged, holding her close.

When the sounds of sirens invaded the area, he picked her up and ran towards them, tears streaming down his eyes. Toph merely leaned into his neck, turning paler and paler. When he'd reached the ambulance, they pulled him away from her, putting her on a stretcher. His heart ached as she weakly reached out to him, they looked at him expectantly, "Sir? Your friend is asking for you." They said, and Aang stepped in, sitting beside the paramedic that was currently tending to Toph, frantically placing an oxygen mask over her face. 

• • • • • • •

"Aang!" Katara yelled, entering the waiting room, followed by Sokka, Zuko, and Suki. Their eyes landed on his bloody clothes and cheek, tears brimmed their eyes. "W-what happened? We heard you-" "Kanto... H-he... He nearly killed her!" He screamed, their eyes widened at the mention of Toph's ex. "What do you mean?" "Remember when... W-when we couldn't contact her? I visited her and she begged me to forget she ever existed. Because Kanto's found her and never let her go outside." Katara gasped, and the rest of them merely looked at him in pure shock. 

"She was gonna leave today. But then... Kanto happened so here we are." He said, sobbing into his hands. "D-does she know?" Suki asked, and Aang nodded his head. "Oh shit." The room fell into a tense silence, all of them just praying for Toph to stay alive. Aang's hands were shaking as Sokka tried to comfort him, letting him cry into his shoulder. The sound of the heavy glass door opening caused their heads to shoot up and lock eyes with the doctor. "Hello... I'm doctor Jin, and you must be Toph's companions?" She asked, and Aang nodded. 

"She's very lucky. If you didn't run up to us just in time, she wouldn't have survived with all the blood she'd lost." Aang sighed in relief, "I-is she... Awake?" Aang asked, and Jin nodded her head. "She's asking for you." Jin replied, and Aang nodded, looking back at his friends, who gave him an approving look. The two of them made their way over to her room, when he'd entered, she was white as a sheet, her lips pale and a tired smile on her face when her silver eyes locked with Aang's own. Immediately, he ran up to her, wrapping her in a hug. Sobbing when he felt her gently pat his back. "I'll... Give you two a minute." Jin said quietly, stepping out of the room. 

"You're okay... You're actually okay!" He cried, and Toph chuckled weakly, wiping away his tears with one hand. "I guess... I am." She replied, Aang intertwined their fingers together, kissing the back of her hand. "So... Will you still stay?" He asked, "Kanto's gone now so, I guess I will." She replied, Aang merely nodded his head. "Okay..." He whispered, running a gentle hand through her hair. She hummed and leaned back into the bed. "I'm gonna... Go get our friends, okay? They heard about the... Issue... And made their way over he-mmph!" Aang let out a muffled yelp of surprise when Toph pulled him in for a searing kiss. 

His hands slid up to cup her cheeks as hers wrapped around his neck, pulling him closer. "Aa- Whoa! Oh my god! My pure virgin eyes!" Sokka screeched, backing up against Suki to shield his eyes. The two of them pulled away blushing, their eyes trailing to rest of their friends, whose jaws were all hung open. "I thought you-" "Uh... We kinda kissed before she left." Aang said sheepishly, rubbing the back of his neck. "We can tell." Suki chuckled, and Zuko rolled his eyes at Sokka's behavior. "Well, we're just glad you're okay Toph." Katara replied, "Yeah, for a second there, we thought you were a goner." Sokka said, finally pulling away from Suki. 

"Thanks for uh... Coming to visit." "Of course! That's what friends do y'know." Suki said, one hand on her hip. Toph laughed and extended her arms. "C'mere." They all rushed in and hugged her as gentle as they could. "Don't ever scare us like that again, please." Zuko mumbled, and Toph nodded. "I promise I won't." "Good." 

Maybe things would finally look up for her.

**Author's Note:**

> I rereleased this, edited it a bit 🤡


End file.
